3rd Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)
|allegiance= |branch= |type= |size= Squadron |garrison= |battles= |decorations= |disbanded= |commander1= Captain William H. Selby |commander1_label= First |commander2= Captain C. Joseph Gass }} The 3rd Destroyer Squadron was a naval unit of the Royal Navy from 1945 to 2001. Overview After World War Two, the Royal Navy reverted to its previous layout and command structure in November 1945 the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet was disbanded and succeeded by the 3rd Destroyer Squadron in December 1945. The Admiralty controlled global deployment until 1964, when that department was abolished and replaced by the Navy Department, Ministry of Defence. Geographic commands usually consisted of fleets, squadrons, flotillas, and single ships. In 1954, major re-structuring of the navy was undertaken, leading to downsizing of administrative requirements. Warships were then rotated between the various fleets and stations. From 1954 until 1971, many naval commands were abolished or amalgamated into larger commands. In November 1971, nearly all British naval forces were brought under the command of a single fleet at Northwood Headquarters. under the control of Commander-in-Chief Fleet. In 2012 that post was abolished and replaced by the Fleet Commander, who administered the fleet from Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Operational history Deployments included: * Assigned to Mediterranean Fleet - (1945-1956) * Assigned to Home Fleet - (1956-1958) * Assigned to First Flotilla, Fleet (1980- 1995) * Assigned to the Fleet - (1996-2002) Notes:Revived as 3rd Far East Destroyer Squadron, (January 1967-January 1972) Composition Included: , Mediterranean Fleet 1945 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Troubridge (Leader) * HMS Venus (R50) * HMS Verulam (R28) * HMS Virago (R75) * HMS Volage (R41) * HMS Brissenden , Mediterranean Fleet 1946 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Troubridge (Leader) * HMS Venus (R50) * HMS Verulam (R28) * HMS Virago (R75) * HMS Volage (R41) * HMS Brissenden , Mediterranean Fleet 1947 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Troubridge (Leader) * HMS Venus (R50) * HMS Verulam (R28) * HMS Virago (R75) * HMS Volage (R41) * HMS Brissenden * HMS Haydon (L75)- (10-1947) * HMS Stevenstone (L16)-(10-1947) * HMS Talybont-(10-1947) , Mediterranean Fleet 1948 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Troubridge (Leader) * HMS Venus (R50) * HMS Verulam (R28) * HMS Virago * HMS Volage , Mediterranean Fleet 1949 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Troubridge (Leader) * HMS Venus * HMS Verulam * HMS Virago * HMS Volage-(07-1949) * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) (07-1949) * HMS Armada (D14) - (07-1949) * HMS Gravelines (D24) - (07-1949) * HMS Vigo (D31) - (07-1949) , Mediterranean Fleet 1950 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Armada * HMS Gravelines * HMS Vigo , Mediterranean Fleet 1951 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Armada * HMS Gravelines * HMS Vigo , Mediterranean Fleet 1952 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Armada * HMS Gravelines * HMS Vigo , Mediterranean Fleet 1953 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Armada * HMS Gravelines * HMS Vigo- (07-1953) * HMS St Kitts - (07-1953) * HMS St Kitts - (11-1953) , Mediterranean Fleet 1954 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Barfleur (D80) * HMS St Kitts , Mediterranean Fleet 1954-1956 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Saintes (D84) (Leader) * HMS Armada (D14) (Leader) * HMS Barfleur * HMS St Kitts , Home Fleet 1956 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Armada (D14) (Leader) * HMS Barfleur * HMS St Kitts , Home Fleet 1957 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Armada (D14) (Leader) * HMS Barfleur * HMS St Kitts , Home Fleet 1958 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Armada (D14) (Leader) * HMS Barfleur * HMS Camperdown (D32) , First Flotilla, Fleet 1980-1995 3rd Destroyer Squadron, Portsmouth & Rosyth * HMS Edinburgh (D97) (Leader) * HMS Liverpool (D92) (Leader) * HMS Newcastle (D87) (Leader) * HMS York (D98) - (Leader) * HMS Sheffield (D80) * HMS Birmingham (D86) * HMS Glasgow (D88) * HMS Coventry (D118) * HMS Cardiff (D108) * HMS Nottingham (D91) , The Fleet 1996 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Liverpool (D92) - (Leader) * HMS Birmingham- (12-1999) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Nottingham * HMS York * HMS Edinburgh (D97) , The Fleet 1997 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Liverpool (D92) - (Leader) * HMS Birmingham- (12-1999) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Nottingham * HMS York * HMS Edinburgh , The Fleet 1998 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Liverpool (D92) - (Leader) * HMS Birmingham- (12-1999) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Nottingham * HMS York * HMS Edinburgh , The Fleet 1999 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Liverpool (D92) - (Leader) * HMS Birmingham- (12-1999) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Nottingham * HMS York * HMS Edinburgh , The Fleet 2000 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Edinburgh (D97) - (Leader) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Liverpool - (Lead ship) * HMS Nottingham * HMS York , The Fleet 2001-2002 3rd Destroyer Squadron * HMS Edinburgh (D97) - (Leader) * HMS Glasgow * HMS Liverpool * HMS Nottingham * HMS York Squadron commander Included:Mackie, Colin, (2017), Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Gulabin, pp. 223-225. Of note, for the last few months of its existence, Command of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron was combined with that of the 5th Destroyer Squadron, as the "Commander of the 3rd and 5th Destroyer Squadrons" prior to abolition of both squadrons and the incorporation of all the Type 42 Destroyers within the newly-established Portsmouth Flotilla. Footnotes Sources * Mackie. Colin (2017). British Armed Forces from 1860. Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1865: Gulabin. http://www.gulabin.com/. * Smith. Gordon and Watson, Graham. Dr. (2015) The Royal Navy, post 1945. Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1947-2013. http://www.naval-history.net. See also * List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy External links Category:Destroyer squadrons of the Royal Navy Category:Royal Navy squadrons Category:Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II